November 12, 2008
Education Week, Vol. 28, Issue 12
Federal
Education-Related Ballot Items Reflect Fiscal, Policy Concerns
Voters approved slot machines to fund schools in Maryland, rejected limits on bilingual instruction in Oregon, and shook up statehouses elsewhere.
School & District Management
Opinion
Universities and Public Schools: A Partnership Whose Time Has Come
Enlisting external partners including colleges and universities to collaborate in public school improvement could be a promising strategy, say Susan H. Fuhrman and Nancy W. Streim.
School & District Management
State Electoral Victors Face K-12 Hurdles
The new class of governors, state legislators, and chief state school officers elected last week will face formidable challenges in dealing with the squeeze the nation’s sagging economy—and ballooning state budget deficits—is putting on K-12 education.
Assessment
Opinion
Teaching and Testing the Skills That Matter Most
"Before we can change the admissions criteria for college, we need to be clear about the skills that all high school students need today," says Tony Wagner.
Recruitment & Retention
Opinion
How the Bad Economy Could Produce Better Teachers
In a tough economy, some top college students may be considering teaching, and merit-based scholarships could drive high-performing students into the profession, says Barbara Beatty.
Curriculum
Fair-Use Help for Internet on Its Way
Media experts have drafted guidelines to help teachers and students grasp the legal issues they say have unnecessarily restricted the use of online resources.
Federal
State Budget Chills Send Shivers Through K-12 Circles
With California’s fiscal outlook worsening, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last week called state lawmakers into a special session to balance the current budget, while governors in other states sounded alarms about their own revenue problems.
School Choice & Charters
Schools Attended by Winners Report 'Great Pride' in Outcome
Former teacher says Obama showed no obvious signs of ambition, but was "thoughtful and bright."
Education
Letter to the Editor
Parents, Not Schools, Impede Innovation
To the Editor:
In response to Fernando M. Reimers’ Commentary “Preparing Students for the Flat World” (Oct. 8, 2008):
In response to Fernando M. Reimers’ Commentary “Preparing Students for the Flat World” (Oct. 8, 2008):
Education
Letter to the Editor
Does Calif. Require Schools to Teach About Marriage?
To the Editor:
As reported in “Union Donations in California Same-Sex-Marriage Debate Criticized” (Oct. 29, 2008), the California Teachers Union donated $1 million in October to oppose Proposition 8, a measure on the Nov. 4 ballot to amend the state constitution to say that only traditional marriage between a man and a woman is valid. The article mentions that state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell spoke out in response to TV advertisements for the initiative, which claimed that if same-sex marriage were to be allowed to continue in the state, it would mean schoolchildren, even as young as kindergartners, would be forced to deal with the issue in classrooms. Mr. O’Connell said that California’s public schools “are not required to teach about marriage.”
As reported in “Union Donations in California Same-Sex-Marriage Debate Criticized” (Oct. 29, 2008), the California Teachers Union donated $1 million in October to oppose Proposition 8, a measure on the Nov. 4 ballot to amend the state constitution to say that only traditional marriage between a man and a woman is valid. The article mentions that state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell spoke out in response to TV advertisements for the initiative, which claimed that if same-sex marriage were to be allowed to continue in the state, it would mean schoolchildren, even as young as kindergartners, would be forced to deal with the issue in classrooms. Mr. O’Connell said that California’s public schools “are not required to teach about marriage.”
Law & Courts
State Police Spying is Wry Civics Lesson
The broad net cast by the Maryland State Police as part of a surveillance operation was designed to track suspected terrorists, but instead snared a number of activists—including an educator who gleaned some firsthand lessons for students in his civics class.
School Climate & Safety
Firms Verify Online IDs Via Schools
Companies selling services to protect children and teenagers from sexual predators on the Internet have enlisted the help of schools and teachers to verify students’ personal information.
School & District Management
Atlanta's Own 'Hall' Of Famer
Under the superintendent’s driving focus on the nuts and bolts of schooling, Atlanta’s students have posted achievement gains every single year since Ms. Hall became schools chief.
Federal
More 'Blue' Congress to Tackle Education
President-elect Obama can look forward to working with a beefed-up Democratic majority in Congress when he seeks to enact his education agenda after taking office in January.
College & Workforce Readiness
States Studying Career Programs
To try to hasten the integration of higher-level academics into traditionally hands-on career and technical education courses, the National Governors Association’s Center for Best Practices is sending five states back to school.
Law & Courts
Justices Weigh Bar on Payroll Deductions for Politics
The U.S. Supreme Court last week heard arguments in a case that is the latest challenge to one of the ways teachers’ unions amass their political war chests.
Federal
Federal File
Spellings Promotes World Education
As Washington was bracing for Election Day, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings traveled to Oman and the United Arab Emirates to talk about the importance of ensuring that all the world’s students have access to a high-quality education.
School Choice & Charters
Report Roundup
KIPP Success Cited, With Caveats
A review of research on the high-profile KIPP network finds promising academic results compared with traditional public schools, though it argues that “popular accounts” have at times overhyped the schools’ apparent success.
Special Education
Report Roundup
Research Report: Special Education
Federal and state officials collect data about the characteristics of students with disabilities and certain outcomes for those students, but little is known about the quality of education they receive, according to a report.
Education
Correction
Corrections
A story in the Nov. 5, 2008, issue of Education Week about the Walton Family Foundation provided an incorrect location for the headquarters of the Foundation Center. It is based in New York City.
Education Funding
News in Brief
'Pittsburgh Promise' Program Lands $6 Million Donation
The Pittsburgh school district’s “Pittsburgh Promise” program, which offers college scholarships for its graduates, has received a $6 million boost from the Heinz Endowments.
Federal
Assessing '21st-Century Skills' Won't Be Easy, Paper Says
Business and higher education leaders are pleading with schools to teach "21st-century skills," but figuring out whether the skills have been taught well won’t be easy or cheap, a new paper warns.
Recruitment & Retention
Group Launches Push for More Math, Science Teachers
At least 75 members of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges have pledged to produce more math and science teachers.
Federal
Campaign Notebook
The Book on Obama
There’s already a children’s book about the new president-elect. Barack Obama: America’s 44th President was shipping out to stores shortly after Election Day.
Federal
Campaign Notebook
That Guy in Obama's Neighborhood Speaks
William Ayers has resisted interviews, but broke his silence when a reporter for The Washington Post knocked on his door on Election Day.
School & District Management
Campaign Notebook
With Minor Hiccups, School Polling Places Pass Election Day Test
In an election marked by high voter turnout, school officials around the country found themselves making some last-minute decisions on how to best manage public access to school-based polling places.
Professional Development
Opinion
Collaborative Technology: Using Web 2.0 to Advance Staff Development
"While it may be challenging to keep an online community active and available to respond to inquiries, we believe this problem will resolve itself as education’s social networks grow in size and become dominated by Web denizens," say Cecilia Cunningham and Susan Restler.
Federal
Obama Gets to Work on Transition
The Democrat’s sweeping Election-Day triumph may lift the prospects for his K-12 policy plans.
Teaching Profession
Union Proposes Taking Over Salaries, Health Premiums
If approved, the Grand Rapids Education Association would assume responsibility for managing a share of the Michigan district’s budget.